By: Emmalee Mauldin
City, Travel, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

“Where Art and History Meet” in Tubac, Arizona

A hidden gem of southern Arizona is the small artsy town of Tubac.

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Tubac resides 45 miles south of Tucson and 24 miles north of Nogales, a border town with Mexico.  But don’t let its distance with Mexico scare you, although you do have to pass through border patrol on your way back north to Tucson.

My family has been visiting Tubac for years, everyone for different reasons.  My mother loves the art, my grandmother loves the shopping, my grandpa loves the steakhouses, and my uncle loves the hot sauce shop. I just appreciate the area as a place to walk around, appreciate art, and enjoy being in southern Arizona.

Tubac is a town full of history and culture. The Tubac Presidio State Historic Park sits towards the east of the main shopping area in the old Tubac district, so it is a small walk away but if you like history like my family does, it’s worth it.

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Parking is free and admission is $7 for adults, $2 for kids 7-13 and free for kids under 6. Admission gets you into the old buildings and a tour around the park.  There is no fee to enter the Visitor Center, Gift Shop or walk around the park.

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Near the historic park is St. Ann’s Rectory, which is beautiful and open to the public if you want to go inside.

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Tubac is probably best known for its art shopping. There are shops filled with beautiful ceramics and metalworks,

 

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jewelry and clothing, woven rugs,

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Clothing shops

and hot sauces!

 

My uncle’s favorite hot sauce shop

 

Tubac also has restaurants, including steakhouses and authentic Mexican food. However, the food can be pretty pricey so it might not be the best place to stop and eat if you’re on a budget. Parking is free and you can park basically anywhere, which is nice. The best time to visit Tubac (or southern Arizona, in general) is from October – April.

If you’re in Southern Arizona and want some 2,000-year-old history lesson, visiting Tubac is a fun and cheap day trip and I recommend it!

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Thank you for reading! Have you ever been to Tubac, Arizona? Do you want to?? Let me know in the comments below and like this post if you want more like it!

Xoxo’s

Emmalee

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